This study tests the hypothesis that community health workers providing home visits to provide education and support for self-management of asthma, assessment of the home for environmental triggers, resources for asthma control, and assistance in effective communication with medical providers over the course of one year would reduce asthma morbidity, asthma-related urgent health care use and exposure to indoor asthma triggers among low income adults with not well controlled asthma.

Further study details as provided by Public Health - Seattle and King County:

Primary Outcome Measures:

asthma symptom-free days during the last two weeks [ Time Frame: baseline and 12 months after enrollment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Asthma symptoms are evaluated using the following questions:

During the past 14 days (that is, during the past fourteen 24 hour periods that include daytime and nighttime), on how many DAYS did you have any asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, waking up at night because of asthma symptoms, or slowing down of usual activities because of asthma?

During the DAYTIME in the past 14 days, how many DAYS did you have asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, cough, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath?

During the past 14 days, how many days did you have to slow down or stop your usual activities because of asthma, wheezing or tightness in the chest, or cough?

During the NIGHTTIME in the past 14 nights, how many NIGHTS did you WAKE UP because of asthma, wheezing, cough, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath?.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Asthma-related quality of life score during the last two weeks [ Time Frame: baseline and 12 months after enrollment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

home visits from community health workers providing education and support for self-management of asthma, assessment of the home for environmental triggers, resources for asthma control, and assistance in effective communication with medical providers

Behavioral: Community Health Worker support

For the intervention group, a trained Community Health Worker (CHW) provided education, support and service coordination through home visits. The CHW first made an in home assessment visit. At the assessment visit, the participant had the opportunity to ask questions and sign written consent. During this visit, the CHW assessed the participant's knowledge of asthma, current status of asthma control, challenges with controlling asthma, self-management practices and exposure to asthma triggers. After enrollment, the participant received up to four follow-up educational visits 0.5, 1.5, 3.5 and 7 months later. In addition to scheduled visits, the CHWs worked with their participants on an as-needed basis via telephone, email, or additional home visits.

Other Name: CHW intervention

No Intervention: the usual care control group

Usual care is defined as services received by participants in the absence of the intervention plus information about community resources that support asthma self-management (such as classes and support groups) and educational pamphlets

Detailed Description:

We used a randomized controlled parallel group design to compare the intervention to a usual-care control group. We attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in the "real world," rather than its ideal efficacy.

The CHWs used protocols that specified education content, participant skill development and participant and CHW actions. The CHWs modified their approach to meet the priorities of participants using motivational interviewing techniques. They addressed asthma patho-physiology, reliever and controller medication use, self-monitoring, use of an asthma action plan, environmental assessment, trigger avoidance, effective use of the health care system, successful communication with health care providers, and weight control (obesity is associated with increased asthma symptoms). Participants also received low-literacy educational materials, in English or Spanish. The education concepts and environmental assessment activities were based on our prior healthy homes work modified for adults.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 65 Years

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

residence of King County Washington

household income below the 250% of the 2007 federal poverty level

had "not well controlled asthma" or "very poorly controlled asthma"

Exclusion Criteria:

speak a language other than English or Spanish

no permanent housing

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01783028